


Northern Girl

by Katlyn1948



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arya Plays The Fiddle, Based on a Ed Sheeran Song, Can You Guess The Song?, F/M, Fluff, Folk Band, Humor, Love at First Sight, Northern Girl, The Peach, pub, wild night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 09:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katlyn1948/pseuds/Katlyn1948
Summary: Gendry meets a girl from the North and can't help but want to know her. They have a whirlwind night filled with music, drinks and conversations.





	Northern Girl

**Author's Note:**

> So I had the idea for this fic for a couple of days and couldn't help but write something. I did base if off of a song that I really like and I want to see if you guys can guess it! I tired to embody it was much as I could, but the artist uses a lot of real world references that I either had to change to fit the GOT universe or cut out completely. I this was my first attempt at trying to stick with one persons POV. I know that in most of my fics, I jump from POV to POV, but I really wanted to stay in Gendry's head for this. I hope I did okay with that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the fic and hopefully this fics gets better comments than my last song to fanfic fic. That one didn't turn out so well. As always, happy reading!

The chords poured out of his guitar with ease; each strum sounding better than the last. Gendry hummed in satisfaction as he listened to the melody pour out of his hands. He had been working on a song to pitch to a record label willing to publish one his songs and although song writing came easily to him, the prospect of having one of those songs potentially being sung by a big-time band had his nerves on overdrive. Sure, the tune was there, but the lyrics were blank. For hours he pondered the deep cervices of his brain desperately trying to find the right words for the song. The last thing he wanted to do was show up empty handed, but with only a few days until the meeting, the likely hood of lyrics was slim to none.

For nearly a month, he tried and failed to come up with the right words to put into his song. Everything he wrote was complete rubbish and it drove him near madness. His life consisted of being cooped up in his tiny apartment with his guitar and few sheets of blank paper. He had been so distant, that even his roommate was starting to worry.

“Come on mate, just a few rounds at the pub and you can come back to your sulking.” His roommate, Lommy had suggested.

Gendry didn’t want any distractions, but the idea of blowing off steam at The Peach did sound inviting. He needed a break before his mind would self-destruct into a million little pieces. With a defeated sigh, he packed up his guitar and grabbed his wallet from the coffee table, “Just a few rounds, Lommy. Text Hot Pie to start the drinks.”

Lommey gave Gendry a toothy grin and patted him swiftly on the back, “Already done, mate.”

Gendry scoffed and the two headed out of their apartment.

The Peach was a just a few blocks from their apartment making it a favorite spot for drinks. They would visit it often, whether it was to blow off steam or just to meet up with some old pals from their high school days. Their friend, Hot Pie, had acquired the pub after his uncle, the owner, passed away. It was the highlight of Hot Pie’s life and Gendry remembered the sheet joy on his face when he got it.

The Peach wasn’t a popular pub when the boys were in high school, but as soon as Hot Pie got his hands on it, it was the only pub that people seemed to gravitate towards. He did major renovations and even started letting local bands play.

“So, who’s playing tonight?” Gendry asked Lommy as they walked down the street.

Lommy shrugged, “I dunno, some family band from up north. ‘Stark Naked’ I think they are called.”

“Well, I hope they don’t suck.” Gendry laughed.

Lommey joined, “As if Hot Pie will let a sucky band play in his pub.”

The two friends chatted as they continued their journey to the pub.

It was a cool night and Gendry was glad that he decided to take Lommy’s advice and take a break from the song writing. He only hoped that it would cure his writers block and helped him produce a kick ass song. It didn’t long for them to reach The Peach and as they were crossing the street to the entrance, Gendry noticed how busy it was becoming. He knew that The Peach was a popular pub, but it was strange to see even this amount of people in attendance.

“Must be the band.” Lommy said as they reached the entrance.

Gendry could hear the loud music from inside mixed with the cheers that the crowd was emitting. Who ever this band was, they sure were popular with the locals.

Lommy pushed open the pub door and motioned for Gendry to enter.

“No, mate. I’m gonna have smoke first.”

Lommy nodded and entered the pub. Gendry began searching his pants pockets for his cigarettes, only to be empty handed.

“Shit!” He exclaimed.

“Everything alright?” A voice came from behind him.

He turned to see a girl just a few short years younger than him leaning against the outer brick wall of the pub. She was dressed in short jean shorts and a black halter top. She had black stockings under her shorts and sported silver Doc Martin boots. Her hair was short, reaching just above her shoulders and she wore a faded leather jacket. Gendry had never seen this girl before and he had been coming to The Peach since he was sixteen. Surely, he would remember someone like her.

“I left my cigarettes in my apartment.” He confessed.

The girl pushed herself off the wall and walked towards to where he was standing. She held out her hand and offered a newly lit cigarette, “Wanna share? It’s my last one, but I’m a nice person, so…”

Gendry hesitated, but nodded and grabbed the cigarette from her hand. He took a long drag before giving it back to her.

“Thanks.” He said.

“Any time. I’m Arya, by the way.” She reached out her free hand and he gladly took it, shaking it loosely.

“Gendry.” He dropped her hand and watched her as she took a drag herself.

They passed the cigarette back and forth until it finally ran out. She snuffed the bud on the bottom of her boot and flicked it out into the street before turning to face him once more.

“I’ve never seen you around here before.” He confessed after a few brief moments of silence.

“I’m with the band. If you listen closely, you can hear my brother playing the guitar.” She chuckled.

Gendry smiled and listened to the muffled melody escaping the pub, “Ah, that’s why you didn’t look familiar. Why aren’t you up there with them?”

“I needed a bit of air and a smoke break. How ‘bout you? Why aren’t you inside the pub?” She inquired.

Gendry chuckled, “I needed a smoke break, too. The owner, Hot Pie, he doesn’t like it when people smoke in there. I may be his best mate, but there are no exceptions.”

“So that’s why he glared at me when I pulled out my lighter.” She joked.

Gendry laughed, “Exactly!”

“So, I noticed that ink on your arm. It’s Valyrian, right? What does it say?” She asked as she pointed to his arm.

Gendry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck with embarrassment, “It’s a song. My friend’s song. Uh, hey do you wanna grab some drinks?”

He avoided her question and whether she noticed, Gendry didn’t care. All he wanted to do was change the topic. She was an intriguing person and he wanted to know more about the northern girl.

“Oh, I get it…yeah, lets go get drinks. My siblings can handle the songs for now.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the entrance of the pub, nearly dislocating his shoulder in the process.

They shuffled their way through crowds of people and found two seats at the end of the long bar. Hot Pie immediately placed two shots of tequila in their face and they each downed it with ease. What surprised him most was that as soon as her shot was completed, she ordered Jameson as a chaser, downing the scotch whiskey just as fast.

“You tryin’ to prove something?” He yelled over the loud music. She just shrugged and ordered more drinks. Gendry caught on and tried his best to keep up with her. Three Guniess and shot of Jack later, he was beginning to feel that familiar buzz clouding his brain. He could see that she was feeling it too, so without thinking, he pulled her hand and dragged her to the crowded dance floor.

Together they swayed to whatever song her band was playing, embraced in each other’s arms. For three songs, all they did was dance. The jumped when they needed to jump, and they swayed when they needed to sway; the beat of the music taking over their bodies. It was around the end of the third song when she pulled from his arms and swiftly kissed him on the neck, “I’ll be right back.”

He watched as she jumped onto the stage, slightly stumbling as she did so. She grabbed a fiddle that was nestled behind the drummer, which Gendry assumed to be her brother, and took her place in front of the microphone. A fast tune belted out from her fiddle and Gendry watched as she stomped her feet to the rhythm. Her other siblings where singing in a language that Gendry wasn’t familiar with, but that didn’t matter. It was a catchy tune and made the crowd in the pub dance around in circles. Gendry found himself tapping to the beat as he watched her play.

He was completely and utterly mesmerized by her, unable to take his eyes off her swaying body. He watched her as she moved her fingers swiftly over the strings of the fiddle, playing each note with ease. He could watch her for hours, and for a moment he thought he did.

Once her set was finished, she jumped off the stage and headed towards him with a broad smile etched on her face. He didn’t have to register what was happening when she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him that there was no one else in the room. Her lips glided over his with such urgency, he was sure to faint from lack of air. But none of that mattered as they stood in the middle of the pub tasting the ruminates of alcohol on each other’s lips.

Finally, after several minutes of heated kissing, they pulled apart each gasping for air.

“That was fun.” She said with a smile.

Gendry nodded as he tried to steady his breathing.

They stayed in each other’s arms as the music continued to play, not caring about the world around them.

It wasn’t until another fast tune started that Arya pulled Gendry to the game tables daring him to play. He was up for the challenge and wasn’t about to let a scrawny northern girl beat him. For the next couple of hours, they played darts and pool. He was shocked at the precision of her aim for each game as she continued to beat his butt. Three rounds of darts and a round of pool later, Gendry was out of 100 bucks with a gloating Arya on his arm.

“You should practice more!” She shouted over the music.

“You shouldn’t hustle people.” He chastised with a smile.

She shoved him gently, “You never asked if I knew how to play!”

The two laughed and made their way back to the bar.

They stayed there for the remainder of the night, laughing and talking and truly getting to know one another. It was a comforting feeling for Gendry, and it had been awhile since he was this open to another human being. The last person he had opened his heart to be his mum, and she passed just three summers prior.

He found it familiar and a little strange that he was able to tell Arya all his secrets. Not once did he feel like it was a bad idea. Her encouraging smile and the way that she intently listening ushered him to continue. He told her about his childhood and how hard it was for his mum to raise him by herself. He told her how he was trying to pursue a carrier in music and how hard it was for him to write one damned song. He even told her how utterly broke he was and how he had to do side jobs working as a mechanic just to pay the bills. With every word he spilled, she would clean it up.

Gendry was a little more than relieved when she reciprocated her life story.

She had grown up in the north with her five siblings. Their parents were always supportive of their dreams but insisted that they all had a proper education. Her father was a big-time politician that Gendry had scarcely heard of, and he traveled all around the country. Her and he siblings had created their band to pass the time stuck behind castle walls and overbearing guards. She never expected them to be good. When her father got a job in King’s Landing, the whole family packed up their belongings and moved south. They had only been in the city for a better part of a week and The Peach was the only pub willing to let them play.

Gendry laughed as she recounted the many pranks that she had played on her older siblings when they were younger and how annoyed her older sister would be. She also told him of how, as they got older, their relationship as siblings grew making them near inseparable.

“Sansa and I even have our own apartment.” She said to him as she finished up her story.

“So, when your whole family moved you all didn’t move into the same house?” He asked, a little confused by her earlier confession.

She shook her head, “No, our parents wanted to give us older kids some freedom, so Robb and Jon have a place while Bran and Rickon still live with the rents.”

Gendry was about to say something when Hot Pie interrupted, “Last call! Pub closes in ten!”

He looked down at his watch and noticed how late it really was. He was sure that Lommy was long gone and cursed himself silently as he realized he had stayed longer than anticipated. He wasn’t complaining, considering he met Arya, but his mind couldn’t help but wonder to the unfinished song sitting on his living room table.

“Hey,” Arya started. Gendry looked up to meet her eyes, “Do you wanna get out of here? Maybe come back to my place. It’s not far, just a few blocks.”

Gendry thought about it. He really needed to head home, but the invitation she offered was so inviting.

“Sure, why not? But what about your sister?” He asked as he looked over to the stage. The band had stopped playing nearly a half an hour ago, but a few of Arya’s siblings were still lingering on the wooden platform.

“Oh, she’s not coming home. I spoke with her when I when to the loo. She has met a guy named Pod. I think that was his name, and she’ll be going over his house tonight.” She said with a shrug.

Gendry laughed, “I know Pod. There are rumors he has a ‘magic cock’ that the ladies adore.”

Arya laughed into her drink, causing the contents to spill, “Magic cock? Okay, we’ll see. I’ll get all the details when she comes tumbling in at like ten in the morning.”

The two finished their drinks and exited the bar. They walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. Much like his apartment, hers was only a few blocks away from The Peach. The only difference was that she in the posh side of town where the apartments cost a whole three months rent. He could tell that she was a little embarrassed by this fact and tried to brush it off.

“I tried to tell my parents that we didn’t need anything fancy, but…they wouldn’t have it.” A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

Gendry shrugged, “I don’t care. If I had parents willing to pay my rent, I’d take it in a heartbeat.”

Arya smiled at his comment and squeezed his hand a little tighter. They walked in silence until they reached her apartment door. She pulled her keys from her jacket and fumbled them as she tried to get them into the key hole. She was nervous and Gendry could tell. He reached out to grasp her shaking hands and helped her with the door.

Arya entered before him and she flicked on the lights, illuminating the dark hallways. The first thing that Gendry noticed was how big the apartment was. He was sure that he could fit his room and his living room all in her living room. It was spacious, but that could be the fact that she had hardly any furniture in her place.

“Sorry if it looks a little bare. Sansa and I convinced our parents that we would handle on buying our own furniture. As you can see, it is taking longer than anticipated. Luckily, we a couch and beds. Do you want anything to drink or eat? I have to warn you, we only have a bottle of wine in our fridge and a bag of Doritos in our pantry.” She said with a smile.

Gendry laughed, “I’ll take it.”

He dropped himself onto the couch and waited for her to return from the kitchen. He looked around the living room and noticed a few family pictures on her wall and smiled at the happiness they emitted. He had always wanted a big family and had begged his mom to give him a sibling. This was before he realized how hard it was on her to raise just one child on her own, let along two.

Arya swiftly returned with the bottle of wine, a few glasses, and a large unopened bag of Doritos.

“Well, it’s four AM, so I’d say this is a breakfast of champions.” He joked.

She laughed and handed him a full glass of wine. He gladly took it and sipped the contents, cringing in disgust.

“I said I had wine, I never said it was any good.” She said as she took her own sip. Gendry noticed her face twist with distaste. “Oh gods! That is awful!”

“Where did you get this?” Gendry asked as he placed the glass on the coffee table in front of him.

“Our Aunt Lysa gave it to us before we left.” She picked up the bottle and examined the label, “Tears of Lys…ekk.”

“You sure it’s not poison?” He laughed.

“I’m beginning to wonder.”

The continued to chat, and although the wine was horrible, they continued to drink. For several more hours they talked and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, until Gendry’s alarm started to go off. He pulled his phone from his pocket at looked at the time. It was 8 am and he was late for his shift at Mott’s.

“Does that mean you have to go?” Arya asked with tired eyes.

Gendry frowned, “It does. I wish I could stay, but I’ve been up all night and I still have work. Gotta pay the rent. I had an amazing time…and I think I found the lyrics to my song.”

Arya smiled, “Yeah? What is about?”

He leaned his head down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, “You. It’s about my night with you, my little Northern Girl.”


End file.
